Official Madeleine McCann website 'barraged with hate' by online trolls

The decision to continue the search for Maddie for another 6 months has been met with criticism

The digital coordinator of the site – a close friend of the missing youngster's parents Kate and Gerry – has reported the abuse to US investigators probing "hate speech on Facebook".

The move comes after Brit police were granted an extra £154,000 by the Home Office to continue their search for Madeleine who vanished from her family's holiday apartment in Portugal in 2007 aged three.

The Metropolitan Police's Operation Grange inquiry has cost taxpayers £12million since it was launched six years ago.

The decision to continue the search for at least another six months sparked widespread cricitism on social media.

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The Madeleine Mccan official search page has been 'barraged with hate'

“This is not a place for you to post your negative opinions about the McCann family”

Madeleine Mccann search page

The Official Find Madeleine Campaign Facebook page now includes a link to an investigation by US news website ProPublica into trolling.

The McCanns' coordinator wrote: "We've been barraged with hate via Facebook and are sure others have too.

"Help ProPublica investigate hate speech on Facebook.''

Opinions on "leaving children alone" have already been banned from the site.

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Visitors to the webpage were warned: "This is not a place for you to post your negative opinions about the McCann family.

"We are not a debate page nor a place to analyse the investigation.

"This is a support and information page for Madeleine’s family and the Official Find Madeleine Campaign (findmadeleine.com).'

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The site is run by a close friend of the McCann's, who reported hate speech on Facebook